For this week’s blog post, I thought I would review the actual ISEB and ISTQB exam costs. These are the costs to book and take the exam, which is separate from the cost of whatever exam-preparation method you purchased (hopefully one of our self-study training courses!).

For the purposes of this article, the ISEB exam fees will be listed in GBP (£). This is because the ISEB software testing certifications are generally UK-specific. The fees associated with the global equivalent of the ISEB certification – ISTQB – will be expressed in both GBP (£) and USD ($). The UK prices exclude VAT.

Note that the entry level Foundation exam for both the ISEB and ISTQB certification paths is identical. Thus, the very first software testing certification exam you must take is the ISEB / ISTQB Foundation level exam. Passing this exam provides dual-certification in both. It is only after the Foundation level that the ISEB and ISTQB exam structures diverge.

Outside of the UK, ISTQB certifications are the most prominent. The ISTQB (ISEB) Foundation level exam costs £130 in the UK and $250 in the US. The ISTQB Advanced certification is split into 3 modules: Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst, and Test Manager. Each module has its own exam. In the UK, each Advanced level module exam costs £180, and therefore taking all 3 exams would cost a total of £540. In the US, each Advanced level module exam costs $200, plus a 1-time qualification fee of $100. So in the US, to take all 3 Advanced level exams the total cost would be $700.

Now, obviously you must prepare for each exam and there is a cost associated with that piece as well. Therefore, to derive your total cost per exam, you must factor in your exam-prep costs.

Our self-study training packages generally cost £120 to download. So if you decide to use our packages, simply add these amounts to your exam cost to derive your total budget. The exception would be to purchase one of our bundles, which will drive your cost per exam down to the bare minimum. The other primary way to prepare is to attend a multi-day instructor-led course. Generally, these run upward of £1000 per course or more, so that would be the cost to add.

And there you have it…a crash course in ISEB and ISTQB software testing certification exam fees. Overall, this begs the question…is it worth it? The answer is a resounding yes! Read more of our articles to find out why.